readthedocs-sphinx-search vulnerable to cross-site scripting when including search results from malicious projects

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

6.3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N

EPSS

No dated EPSS signal available.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Impact This vulnerability could have allowed an attacker to include arbitrary HTML content in search results by having a user search a malicious project. This was due to our search client not correctly escaping all user content from search results. You can find more information in the advisory published in our readthedocs.org repo. Users of this extension should update to the 0.3.2 version, and trigger a new build. This issue was discovered by a member of our team, and we have seen no signs that this vulnerability was exploited in the wild. Patches This issue has been patched in our 0.3.2 version. References - https://github.com/readthedocs/readthedocs-sphinx-search/commit/8c6f6d01e88e72ef32ed0c220b6c19d1e1121c73 For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory, email us at security@readthedocs.org (PGP)

Published by the source

16 Jan 2024, 20:48 UTC

Last modified by the source

28 Nov 2024, 05:51 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 13:12 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-xgfm-fjx6-62mj

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-xgfm-fjx6-62mj

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# Patch Next advisory brief: GHSA-xgfm-fjx6-62mj

Advisory: readthedocs-sphinx-search vulnerable to cross-site scripting when including search results from malicious projects
IDs: GHSA-xgfm-fjx6-62mj
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/ghsa-xgfm-fjx6-62mj (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 13:12 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 6.3)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: readthedocs-sphinx-search 0.3.2. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- PyPI readthedocs-sphinx-search: affected <= 0.3.1; fixed in 0.3.2

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `python -m pip show readthedocs-sphinx-search`: prints the installed version. Run with the environment that serves production active.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on readthedocs-sphinx-search.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-xgfm-fjx6-62mj (OSV record GHSA-xgfm-fjx6-62mj lists affected ranges: PyPI readthedocs-sphinx-search >=0 <0.3.2 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-xgfm-fjx6-62mj (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-xgfm-fjx6-62mj lists affected ranges: PyPI readthedocs-sphinx-search >=0 <=0.3.1)

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